The Kano State chapter of the New Democratic Congress has urged its members and supporters to remain calm after the Independent National Electoral Commission omitted its governorship candidate, Aminu Abdussalam-Gwarzo, from the final list of candidates for the 2027 Kano State governorship election.
The party’s Public Relations Officer, Yusif Fasaha, said the NDC had contacted INEC over the omission and was assured that the issue would be addressed. He expressed confidence that a corrected list containing Abdussalam-Gwarzo’s name would be published.
Fasaha made the appeal in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Kano on Sunday, insisting that the omission did not result from any failure by the party to complete the necessary procedures within the stipulated period.
“I want to assure you that as the PRO of the party, the problem is not from us,” he said.
The NDC spokesman disclosed that the party had consulted the electoral commission after discovering that its candidate was missing from the published list. According to him, INEC attributed the problem to a computer-related issue and promised to rectify it.
“We have consulted the INEC, and they told us that the problem was from computer, and they will rectify it,” Fasaha said.
He appealed to party members and supporters not to panic over the development, expressing optimism that the commission would resolve the issue and publish an updated list.
“So, everybody should remain calm; as from now to Monday, another list containing his name will be out,” he said.
Fasaha maintained that the party had fulfilled the requirements for its candidate’s participation in the election and completed the necessary processes on time.
“Everything was done at the right time,” he said.
The party said it had seen the published list and would continue consultations while awaiting further action from the commission. Its appeal for calm came amid questions about the status of Abdussalam-Gwarzo’s candidacy ahead of the 2027 election.
The three-page list, signed by INEC Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, contains 17 governorship candidates and their running mates from different political parties. However, neither the NDC nor Abdussalam-Gwarzo appears in the document.
A review of the list shows that candidates of the All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress, Labour Party and Social Democratic Party are included, alongside candidates from several other parties.
Other parties represented include the Action Alliance, African Action Congress, Action Democratic Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Allied Peoples Movement, New Democratic Party, Zenith Labour Party, Boot Party, Peoples Redemption Party and Democratic Leadership Alliance.
The document provides information about the listed candidates and their running mates, including their names, political affiliations, ages, genders and educational qualifications. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is listed as the APC’s governorship candidate, with his deputy, Murtala Sule-Garo, named as his running mate.
Abdussalam-Gwarzo, a former deputy governor of Kano State, had earlier been announced as the NDC’s candidate for the 2027 governorship election. His absence from the final list means the party is not represented among the governorship candidates named in the published document.
However, INEC did not state in the list why the NDC and its candidate were missing. The commission’s independent confirmation of the reported computer-related problem was not available, and it had not publicly confirmed the party’s expectation that a corrected list would be released by Monday.
The omission has therefore raised questions about the NDC’s participation in the governorship race, although the published document does not establish whether the problem arose from technical issues, documentation or another cause. The commission’s clarification will be important in determining the circumstances surrounding the missing name.
West Trybe reports that the publication of candidates’ lists is a significant stage in preparations for elections because it provides an official record of those participating in each contest. While the NDC has urged calm and expressed confidence that the omission will be corrected, INEC’s response will determine whether Abdussalam-Gwarzo’s name is added to the list ahead of the 2027 Kano governorship election.
